B&W 685 versus Epos M12i

admin_exported

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I am currently in the process of updating and upgrading my HiFi system and I'm starting with my speakers as I have given my existing speakers to my brother to save him having to buy some in this time of hardship. I am particularly keen on the aesthetics and sound of Naim CD & Amp combos so that is what i'll be buying eventually as the source and power for my new speakers, however I am struggling to decide upon which speakers to go for.

The B&W 685s seem an obvious consideration but in order to follow the rule of thirds I'm wondering if I should spend more on my speakers so they aren't outclassed by the rest of my setup. I had also considered the Epos M12is but haven't yet heard them and I have been warned to be careful when pairing them.

Which are the better of these two and are the Epos worth the extra cost?

Also should I be considering any others up to the £800 mark? What would you buy?

I'd be most grateful for some help!
 

floyd droid

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I bet you are just loving the naim thread tavia
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Anonymous

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I have chosen to agree with Clare in that you should buy with your ears.
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I do agree that with some mixed systems, particularly Marantz they can sound harsh but in a single manufacturer pairing, as Tony says, They're great!
 
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Anonymous

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Nice one! Call me a fledgling weirdo but I think if you invested in speakers like the Neats they would be with you for life....
 

floyd droid

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tavia:I have chosen to agree with Clare in that you should buy with your ears.
emotion-5.gif
I do agree that with some mixed systems, particularly Marantz they can sound harsh but in a single manufacturer pairing, as Tony says, They're great!

Exactly.
 
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Anonymous

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Thanks Octopo. I haven't heard them before but they are a bit more than I was hoping to spend with an RRP of £945. Do you know if you can get them cheaper anywhere or would the Neat Motive 3 at £725 RRP be worth considering?
 

crusaderlord

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I have Neat Motive 3 and they are fantastic speakers. I used to own Epos M5's standmounts which were much cheaper but were very good for the price.

In my view the B&W are no-where near the Neat Motive speakers in quality but then you are moving to a different price range. I doubt the Neat's would dissapoint as they have a lively presentation, are punchy in the bass (more than Epos) and a sweet treble. They are also quite smooth. Epos are different in that the bass was less defined but the midrange and vocals was excellent. I do prefer Epos to B&W if you want standmounts but if you can go to £700 then Neats or PMC are my choice.
 
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Anonymous

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tavia:

I am currently in the process of updating and upgrading my HiFi system and I'm starting with my speakers as I have given my existing speakers to my brother to save him having to buy some in this time of hardship. I am particularly keen on the aesthetics and sound of Naim CD & Amp combos so that is what i'll be buying eventually as the source and power for my new speakers, however I am struggling to decide upon which speakers to go for.

The B&W 685s seem an obvious consideration but in order to follow the rule of thirds I'm wondering if I should spend more on my speakers so they aren't outclassed by the rest of my setup. I had also considered the Epos M12is but haven't yet heard them and I have been warned to be careful when pairing them.

Which are the better of these two and are the Epos worth the extra cost?

Also should I be considering any others up to the £800 mark? What would you buy?

I'd be most grateful for some help!

I havn't heard the Neat's but I have heard the Epos M12's in-store with their 'perfect' partners, the Cyrus CD6 SE and 8vs2 amp. Lean maybe (bass light), but neither particularly fast or dynamic to compensate, as you might have thought (considering the reviews). The sound as a whole was anything but bright ... a bit bland actually IMO, quite dissapointing as I expected (and wanted) to hear something that wasn't your typically rounded off, reigned in hi-fi sound

The 685's on the other hand will guarantee you bass (if that's your thing) when sitting on decent stands, although I understand a lot of people here don't like them.
 

drummerman

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Captain Destructo:tavia:

I am currently in the process of updating and upgrading my HiFi system and I'm starting with my speakers as I have given my existing speakers to my brother to save him having to buy some in this time of hardship. I am particularly keen on the aesthetics and sound of Naim CD & Amp combos so that is what i'll be buying eventually as the source and power for my new speakers, however I am struggling to decide upon which speakers to go for.

The B&W 685s seem an obvious consideration but in order to follow the rule of thirds I'm wondering if I should spend more on my speakers so they aren't outclassed by the rest of my setup. I had also considered the Epos M12is but haven't yet heard them and I have been warned to be careful when pairing them.

Which are the better of these two and are the Epos worth the extra cost?

Also should I be considering any others up to the £800 mark? What would you buy?

I'd be most grateful for some help!

I havn't heard the Neat's but I have heard the Epos M12's in-store with their 'perfect' partners, the Cyrus CD6 SE and 8vs2 amp. Lean maybe (bass light), but neither particularly fast or dynamic to compensate, as you might have thought (considering the reviews). The sound as a whole was anything but bright ... a bit bland actually IMO, quite dissapointing as I expected (and wanted) to hear something that wasn't your typically rounded off, reigned in hi-fi sound

The 685's on the other hand will guarantee you bass (if that's your thing) when sitting on decent stands, although I understand a lot of people here don't like them.

I would'nt call Epos's latest 12i's rounded off/reigned in though I think their predecessors was a slightly better speaker. As for partnering with Naims's baby products, I don't know as I have, oddly enough, never put the two together but the 12i's have a completely different sound to B&W's 6 series. The first thing you should notice when you audition the two is the improved focus and detail. Epos metal dome tweeters are exceptionally informative and not harsh. Bass is fine if set up correctly but I'd recommend a good small sub (BK minotaur, Pro50 etc) for all but the largest floorstanders anyway.
 

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